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What is the Authorization to Test, and how long is it valid?

The Authorization to Test is the Pearson VUE email that lets you schedule the NCLEX. Your board sets its validity; the average is 90 days. No extension.

Checked November 10, 2026

Short answer: The Authorization to Test (ATT) is the email from Pearson VUE that allows you to schedule your NCLEX appointment. Your nursing regulatory body sets how long it is valid, the average length is 90 days, and the dates cannot be extended for any reason.

These rules come from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Pearson VUE delivers the exam and sends the ATT.

What the ATT is and when it arrives

You receive the ATT email after two things have happened. Your nursing regulatory body (NRB), which is the board or regulator where you applied, has declared you eligible. You have also registered with Pearson VUE. The full order is in How do you register for the NCLEX, step by step?.

You must have the ATT email to schedule an appointment. Without it, you cannot choose a date.

NCSBN gives two actions for a missing ATT:

  • If more than two weeks have passed since Pearson VUE acknowledged your registration, and you have no ATT, you may want to contact your board.
  • If your board has made you eligible and the ATT has not arrived, or if you lost the ATT, call Pearson Candidate Services at 866.496.2539.

What the ATT email contains

The ATT email contains three things:

  • your authorization number
  • your candidate identification number
  • an expiration date

Read your name in the email as soon as it arrives. The first and last names on your ATT must match the identification you will show at the test center. The address does not need to match. If the name is wrong, contact your board. The test center cannot change it.

How long the ATT is valid

The NCLEX Candidate Bulletin says the ATT is valid for a period of time that the NRB specifies, and that the average length of an ATT is 90 days. The date that applies to you is the expiration date in your own ATT email.

There is no extension

NCSBN states that the ATT validity dates cannot be extended for any reason. If you do not test within those dates, you have to reregister with Pearson VUE and pay another exam fee. The fee is on How much does the NCLEX cost?.

Schedule soon after the email arrives. NCSBN warns that if you wait until the ATT is close to expiring, the test center may not be able to seat you before the expiration date. The two official sources describe appointment offers for first-time candidates in slightly different words: the bulletin says an appointment is offered within 30 days of your request, and the Scheduling page says it is offered 30 days after the request.

When you have to register again

Situation What NCSBN states
The ATT expires before you test You reregister and pay another exam fee
You miss the appointment, or you do not change or cancel with enough notice You forfeit the exam fee, and the scheduling fee if one applied, and the ATT is invalidated
You arrive more than 30 minutes late You may be required to forfeit the appointment. You then reregister and pay again
The name on your identification does not match your registration You are turned away, and you reregister and pay again

What to do next

  1. Write the expiration date from the ATT email in your calendar on the day it arrives.
  2. Compare the first and last names in the email with your identification.
  3. Schedule your appointment early in the validity period.
  4. If you must move the appointment, do it at least 24 hours (one full business day) before the appointment time.

Common questions

Is the ATT the same as the Registration Acknowledgment email?

No. The acknowledgment email confirms your registration and should arrive within two days. The ATT comes later, after your board makes you eligible.

Do I need a new ATT to retake the NCLEX?

Yes. You reregister with Pearson VUE, pay the fee and wait for a new ATT. NCSBN says the new ATT is not valid until the required number of days between exams has passed. See How many times can you retake the NCLEX?.

Can my board give me a longer ATT if I ask?

NCSBN says only that the board specifies the validity period and that the dates cannot be extended for any reason. Ask your board what period it uses before you register.

Prep from our team

NCLEXPace has NCLEX-RN practice questions with rationales, Next Generation NCLEX case studies and CAT Readiness Exams to use while you wait for your ATT. Plans start from US$59 paid once, and nothing renews. All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team. See https://www.nclexpace.com.

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